a.y. 2015-2016
Class contents and exam requirements
Code 30301
English Language, First language, First exam
Level B2
Class contents and exam requirements are the same for both attending students and non-attenders
Program
Bachelor
Degree course
CLEAM, CLES, CLEF, CLEACC
Teaching activity
• 1st year, annual course, level B2 academic*; (total classroom
teaching hours 96)
• courses taught in English
The course is activated if there are an appropriate number of
participants.
Minimum Initial Level
In order to attend the class in a productive way, students are
advised they need a B1 level of knowledge of the language
Objective
The acquisition/consolidation of reading, writing, listening and
speaking skills required to interact at an intermediate level in an
academic and business context
Final Exam
• Bocconi internal exam or an international certification among
those recognized by the University
• 4 credits, 2nd semester
Head Teacher
JOHN Mc HARDY CLARK
* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Textbook
Hughes, Total Business 2 student’s book, Summertime Publishing
Dummett, Total Business 2 workbook, Summertime Publishing
Materials provided by class Professors:
We remind you that the Language Center offers to all students an information and consultancy service for
the study of languages. In addition, at its language laboratories, multimedia library, and online a variety of
materials for students wishing to prepare for international certificates recognized by the University
also for Bocconi exams (visit: www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter).
Resources
Materials prepared by professors
Self-study programme
Past exams
Extra teaching materials
Language tutors
Office Hours for Bocconi teachers
International certificates recognized
1
Course program
Objectives
The aim of the course is to enable students to reach a confident B2 business level:
• to actively participate in formal and informal oral discussions on familiar and unfamiliar topics
• produce written professional documents by developing arguments, providing,
motivating, synthesizing information
• present in a consistent and detailed way, documents related to a business and professional
environment
• grammar revision and business vocabulary extension
• development of listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in business contexts
• mock exam simulation for internal examination
Contents
•
“skills” activities: lessons will contain various activities, including writing exercises, reading and
comprehension, listening passages and speaking exercises. Particular attention is focused on
practicing exercises as contained in the final.
Self-Study activities & skills
Learning a language and effective preparation for the Bocconi exam require regular attendance of lessons
and constant effort also in terms of autonomous study.
For this purpose, a series of activities to be done in the textbooks (see adopted and suggested texts). In the
Libraries students can also find the material provided by the teacher in the classroom and some previous
exam papers. It is suggested to dedicate 3-5 hours weekly for independent study.
Skills
Topics
Grammar
•
Ways of Working
Present Tenses
Company
organisation
The Past
•
•
Students Book Unit 2
Workbook Unit 2
Starting a Business
Will and the
future
•
•
Students Book Unit 3
Workbook Unit 3
Advertising
Modals
•
•
Students Book Unit 4
Workbook Unit 4
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vocabulary: Different
ways of working
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Benefits and
Incentives
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Types of
Business
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Types of
Advertising
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Activities
(see textbooks)
• Students Book Unit 1
• Workbook Unit 1
2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Hiring &
Firing
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Linking
Phrases
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Telephone
Words
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Verb + Noun
Combinations
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Vocabulary: Financial &
Trade Terms
Reading Skills
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Speaking Skills
Recruitment
Passives
•
•
Students Book Unit 6
Workbook Unit 6
Training
-ing forms and
infinitive
•
•
Students Book Unit 8
Workbook Unit 8
Branding
Relative Clauses
•
•
Students Book Unit 9
Workbook Unit 9
Price Management
Conditionals
•
Students Book Unit
10
Workbook Unit 10
•
Cultural Awareness
Articles
•
•
Students Book Unit
11
Workbook Unit 11
Exam content and description
At the end of the first semester, students have the option of taking a written mid-term exam. This is not
obligatory.
At the end of the second semester, there is a final written exam and an oral exam: Writing (30 marks),
Listening (30 marks), Reading Comprehension (40 marks) and Oral (a max of 4 marks).
Each part is assigned a mark and the sum of these marks is converted into thirtieths to give the final grade.
Both midterm and final year exam syllabuses are the same for attending and not attending students.
For details, refer to the Course syllabus and examinations on www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter
Exam Terms
The exam consists of two compulsory parts: a written test and an oral test.
In order to sit for exams, both written and oral, it is necessary to enroll for the exam through Punto Blu.
Both tests must be successful for the exam to be recorded.
For the written test:
• the written test can be taken again before sitting for the oral test
3
• the handing in of the exam paper makes the previous written exam taken null
For the oral test:
• it can only be taken if the written test has been successful (minimum mark: 18/30)
• it can only be taken within the validity terms of the written test (see section Written Exam, Validity)
• it involves the preparation of the content and any materials as indicated in the program (see section
Oral exam, Test)
• it brings the mark of the written part up to date to define the final grade (see section Oral Exam, Final
grade)
Written exam
First part
Objective
Skill
Test
Second part
Objective
Skill
Test
Third part
Objective
Skill
Test
Duration
Dictionary
Validity
Listening
Check candidates’ ability to identify the subject matter, how it is communicated and
the most important details in two different listening passages
Listening to short talks, presentations or interviews
Sentence completion or gap fills, multiple choice questions or true and false
Total: 30 marks
Reading comprehension
Checking that candidates understand basic grammar and vocabulary in a range of
contexts, including expressions common in business/academic English.
Reading and comprehension of authentic or adapted text
Multiple choice questions, reading for key information, multiple choice word gaps,
formulating guided questions.
Total: 40 marks
Writing
Checking that candidates are able to construct a piece of formal business
correspondence eg. a letter, an email, a report or proposal of at least 200-220
words
Writing texts in English
Writing a guided text
Total: 30 marks
150 minutes
Dictionaries are not allowed
it is valid for the 3 subsequent oral exams, and it is also valid for the subsequent 12
months but there is a penalty that must be paid (see Oral Exam, Validity)
Oral exam
Test
Duration
Final grade
Students must show the ability to summarize (60-70 words) and discuss 3 articles of
a minimum 1.200 words each one, on topics related to the syllabus.
There are a maximum total of 4 marks available.
around 10 minutes
The oral exam can only be taken once you have passed the written exam. Students
will be assessed in terms of their practical ability to communicate. During the oral
exam marks can be added to or subtracted from the written exam result in the
following way:
• by +4 or -4, if the oral exam is passed within the 3 oral exams subsequent to
the written exam;
• by +1 or -4, if the oral exam is passed after the first 3 subsequent oral exams,
but still by 12 months subsequent to the written exam
4
As an alternative to the Bocconi exam, students may choose to register one of the international
certificates recognized by the University. The achieved result is converted into a number grade out of a
possible thirty and is registered in the academic career.
Additional Points
The assessment of language skills depends both on the result of the final exam and on marks awarded
during the year.
All exam grades on or above the pass mark (minimum 18/30) can be given an extra three points as follows:
1. Positive participation in the course and completion of homework activities given by class teachers
2. The exam passed the first time it is taken
3. Partial exam
Points are registered at the same time the oral exam is passed
1. Positive participation in the course and completion of homework activities given by class teachers
Objective
To encourage constant and active improvement in the language
• 1 thirtieth for active participation in at least 75% of lesson hours +
Maximum points awardable
completion of the self-study programme
Defined by professor at the end of the course on the basis of quality of
Assignment of points
work performed and respected due dates as indicated the professor in
the classroom and also online
From June to the January immediately following the course. These
Validity
months are included.
2. The exam passed at first attempt
Objective
Reward students who sit for the exam only when well prepared
Maximum points awardable • 1 thirtieth
Automatically, when the student registers for the written exam and
hands in the exam for the first time, and passes it (minimum 18/30), and
Assignment of points
take the oral exam on the first available date subsequent to the written
exam
3. Partial exam
Objective
Test
Duration
Dictionary
Maximum points awardable
Assignment of points
Validity
Note
Assess students' progress
• listening – comprehension questions on 1 passage
• summary writing – summarising a written passage
• multiple choice, sentence completion, cloze test, brief writing task
• sentence transformations and error correction
• Test description
90 minutes
Dictionaries are not allowed
• 1 thirtieth is awarded on the condition that students pass their final
written and oral exam within the first or second scheduled exam
session
The final grade is expressed by “pass” or “fail”; the extra points will be
awarded in case of positive result (“pass”)
From June to the July immediately following the course. These months
are included
The exam is open to all students enrolled, both attending and non-
5
attending students. It is held once each academic year in January after
the end of first semester classes (see general exams calendar for exact
date). Students must enrol at the Punto Blu
6